Assistant Police Chief who displayed Nazi insignia and performed Nazi salute gets reported $1.5 million payout to resign

A former Assistant Police Chief in Kent, Washington, who faced disciplinary measures for displaying Nazi symbols on his door and making jokes about the Holocaust, will receive a $1.5 million payout by the local authority to ensure his resignation.

Derek Kammerzell had posted the insignia of an Obergruppenführer (a senior ranking Nazi SS Officer) on his office door. A complaint was made about this, and the investigation into his conduct that followed found that Mr Kammerzell had also shaved his facial hair into a moustache resembling that of Adolf Hitler, performed what was reportedly a Nazi salute, and made jokes about the Holocaust.

Mr Kammerzell’s original penalty was a two-week suspension without pay.

Following a backlash against the weakness of the sanction, Mr Kammerzell was put on administrative leave and asked to resign.

The city was, however, unable to fire him because this would violate the principle of “double jeopardy”. If Mr Kammerzell resigned, the city would have had to have made a substantial payout. Although it was reported that Mr Kammerzell originally asked for over $3 million, in the end he received around half that amount.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the City of Kent said: “While this is a substantial sum, we strongly believe that settling this matter will be a substantial step towards meeting our commitment to the community and continuing with the excellent work the police department is doing.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.